Don’t Nod is one of my favourite developers (though I keep forgetting the slight name change), thanks in large part to the original Life Is Strange. It’s made some solid games otherwise, though, including Tell Me Why and Gerda: A Flame in Winter. Its next title, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, was shown off during February’s Nintendo Direct. The game’s release dates have just been announced; there’s one for PC and Switch, and another for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
It’s the very near future, and Polly has returned home after a few years abroad to search for her missing mother. It’s immediately apparent that her hometown has changed, and drastically. A megacorporation, MK, is using its power to control the population. The community is in danger.
Oh, and something else about Polly: she is a clairvoyant. Her gift connects her to the Reverie, the realm of the Aspirations of Humanity (Glory, Bliss, Power, Chaos, Bond, Truth). In Reverie, Polly becomes Harmony. Harmony is a goddess who has the power to choose the Aspiration that will rule over the world and restore the balance between the deities’ world and our own.
Each action taken will affect both worlds and choose the narrative path the game takes. Polly/Harmony is able to see the future and explore possible consequences in the Augural, a visual representation of her gift. While pursuing her chosen aspiration, she’ll bond with and obtain crystals from the Aspirations. These crystals unlock different paths that change how the story unravels… and ultimately, the fate of humanity.
The Aspiration that ends up leading Reverie will also become the heart of humanity. Their personality will change both Reverie and our world, as when the link is strong Reverie influences our world. Each Aspiration is wildly different, each with their own personalities, goals, and opinions on how to make things better. Polly will get to know them each as she visits Reverie in her dreams.
Developed and published by Don’t Nod, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie will be released for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on June 8, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on June 22.
